Harmonica



(No Model.)

MQOEFINGER. Harmonica.

Patented Dec. 7; I880 N. PETERS. PHOTO-UTHOGRAFMER. wAsmNcTON, D. C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL OEFINGER, OF WEST MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

HARMONICA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,281, dated December 7, 1880. Application filed May 3, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MIcEAEL OEFINGER, of West Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Harmonicas; and I do here by declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figurel,an edge view; Fig.2,theinsideview of the outer plate; Fig. 3, transverse section; Fig. 4, edge view of a double instrument; Fig. 5, the central portion or reed-pocket detached; Fig. 6, transverse section.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of musical instruments commonly called harmonicas, the object being chiefly to make the instrument entirely from metal; and it consists in the construction, as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

Ais the reed-plate, which is of common construction, and the reeds arranged alternately, so that one series of reeds will be sounded from one edge and the other from the opposite edge; B C, the outside plates, one otwhich, B, is shown detached in Fig. 2. These are fitted torespective sides of the plate and each providedwith cavities a b a Z), extending from near one edge to and opening through the opposite edge, preferably of semicircular form in transverse section, and so as to form a partition between the cavities bearing against the surface of the reed-plate and between the several reed-openings. The plate on one side is reversed from that of the plate upon the opposite side, as seen in Fig. 5, so that the openings of the plate on one side come at one edge of the reed-plate, and the openings of the opposite side come at the opposite edge, as seen in Fig. 3.

p The alternate cavities to deliver the wind to the reeds to produce the sound, and the sound will be delivered through the opening in the opposite cavity, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3, and if the instrument be reversed the other series, I), become the sound- 5 ing-cavities.

As a means for securing the parts together, one of the plates is cast with a stud, d, at each end, which passes through the perforations in the reed-plate and corresponding perforations in the plate in the opposite side, and riveted thereon completes the instrument.

For a double instrument the central section, D, (see Fig. at and Fig. 5 detached,) is made from cast metal, the partitions 0 cast as a part of that section. Onto each side of this section the metal reed-plates A are arranged in the usual manner, and outside the reedplates the covering-plates B C are applied, the plates being the same as those shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, except that the cavities open upon the same edge, the reed-plates having a double set of reeds opening alternately into the pockets of the section D and into the cavities in the plates B C, so that blowing into the pockets of the section D upon one edge the double set of reeds will deliver the sound through the cavities in the plates 13 C; or, reversed, the wind may be delivered through the cavities in both plates or the cavities of one only.

It will be understood that the alternate reeds are operated by blowing or drawing, as in the usual construction.

I claim 1. A harmonica having a metallic plate, B, provided with cavities a b, arranged as described, to form partitions between said cavities, combined with a reed-plate, substantially as described.

2. A harmonica having a metallic plate, B, provided with cavities a 1), arranged as described, to form partitions between said cavities, combined with a reed-plate and studs d, cast on said plate B, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the metal central section, D, constructed with the partition 0, with reed-plates, and the metal covering-plates B C, provided with cavities to form partitions between the reeds in the reed-plate, substantially as described.

MICHAEL OEFINGER.

Witnesses:

FRANK S. FAY, LEROY G. PARDEE. 

